6/23/14

Teachout Opens Manhattan Campaign Headquarters

Upstart constitutional law professor and political organizer Zephyr Teachout, who is circulating petitions to get hers and running mate Tim Wu's names on the ballot for the upcoming Democratic gubernatorial Primary, formally launched her campaign in Albany last week, and now has a campaign headquarters on the 9th floor at 30 Vesey Street in Tribeca and a campaign website.

Cuomo political operatives have reportedly expressed "unexpected concern" at these developments. They should be worried, Teachout said, knowing that they've ignored traditional Democratic values in their pursuit of short-term political gain.

While that strategy paid off for the Cuomo camp in the form of massive tax giveaways for bankers and billionaires, she said, the rest of the party got school cuts and foot-dragging on core issues like publicly-financed elections, the DREAM act, and hydrofracking.

For two election cycles, Teachout said, Cuomo has failed to support any Democrat running for State Senate because he wants to keep Republican leader Dean Skelos and his State Senate cronies, with their trickle-down economics and educational policies, in place. Cuomo broke his initial campaign promise to support independent redistricting because he wanted -- and got -- a Republican State Senate, she said.

Democrats deserve better than this, she said. It's time to take back the Democratic Party from the politicians who have hijacked it for their personal gain, and demand an economy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected.

According to Teachout's Twitter feed, she was out near Bay Ridge this weekend running a road race. Capital New York reported that her campaign has opened an office in Bay Ridge, but so far, I haven't been able to confirm that.